Help

Support for WMA Format Music Downloads

General Information

What Are WMA Music Files?

What's New

How To Tell If Your Computer Contains WMA Music Files

Installing MP3 Music Downloads Manager

How To Tell If Your WMA Music Files Were Purchased From Walmart Music Downloads

Shopping and Purchasing MP3s

WMA Music Files Don't Play On Computer

Downloading, Playing and Managing MP3s

What Does Authorize Your Computer Mean?

Burning to CDs and Transferring to Devices

Which Version of Windows Media Player Required?

Your Walmart.com Account

Received License Acquisition Message

File Usage Rules

How To Authorize Your Computer

Troubleshooting

No Computer Authorization Box on Account Options Page

Settings and System Requirements

No Authorize This Computer button on Account Options Page

Support for WMA Format Music Downloads

What Does Deauthorize Your Computer Mean?

Customer Service

How To Deauthorize Your Computer

Can't Sign In To Computer You Want To Deauthorize

Shared Computer Or More Than One Walmart.com Account

How To Change Your Computer's Name

WMA Music Files Not Purchased From Walmart

Authorize Applies Only To WMA Music Files, Windows-Based Computers, And WMA-Compatible Players

Playing WMA Music Files On Portable Players

Backup Your Music Files

MP3 Music Files Do Not Require Authorization

Can't Convert Previously Purchased WMA Music Files To MP3 Format

What Are WMA Music Files?
If you downloaded music from Walmart before February 2008, some of your music files may be in the Windows Media Audio (WMA) format. WMA music files:

• Play on Windows computers only - they do not play on Macintosh computers
• Play on Windows Media Player and other WMA-compatible players on your computer - they do not play on iTunes
• Play on Zune, Sony, Creative, SanDisk and other WMA-compatible portable players - they do not play on iPods

Additionally, previously purchased WMA music files are protected by Digital Rights Management (DRM), also known as Media Usage Rights. This means that each WMA file requires a license to play on your computer. After you purchased each WMA music file, its license was downloaded when you first played the song on your computer. While you can see WMA music files in Windows Explorer, the corresponding license files are stored on your computer separately and are hidden from view.

When you try to play a DRM protected WMA music file on Windows Media Player (or another WMA-compatible player), the player looks for the associated license on your computer. If the license is found, your WMA music file will play. If the license is not found, your WMA music file will not play. Instead, a License Acquisition message will be displayed and you will need to authorize your computer to play your WMA music files.

How To Tell If Your WMA Music Files Were Purchased From Walmart Music Downloads
Go to your Walmart MP3 Music Downloads Account Songs page and select the time period More Than 1 Year Ago. Any songs purchased before February 2008 and marked with the status Discontinued are WMA music files.

Note: If the store requires you to login, then you will be taken to the Overview tab. Click the Songs tab and select the time period More Than 1 Year Ago. Any songs purchased before February 2008 and marked with the status Discontinued are WMA music files.
 

WMA Music Files Don't Play On Computer
If your WMA music files do not play on your computer, the problem is most likely due to an issue with the licenses. If you are using the computer to which your WMA music files and licenses were originally downloaded, it is possible that the license files were damaged and need to be replaced. If you have copied your WMA music files from the computer to which they were originally downloaded to another computer, the licenses were not copied and need to be downloaded to the new computer. In either case, you will acquire the appropriate licenses to play your WMA music files when you authorize your computer.
 

What Does Authorize Your Computer Mean?
If the licenses to play your WMA music files are not installed on your computer, you will need to "authorize" your computer to play your WMA music files. To "authorize" your computer simply means to download the licenses associated with your purchased WMA music files so these songs will play on your computer.

If you have copied your WMA music files to more than one computer, you will need to authorize each computer, one-at-a-time, to play your WMA music files.
 

Which Version of Windows Media Player Required?
XP and Vista users must have at least Windows Media Player 10 installed. Windows 98, ME, and 2000 users must have at least Windows Media Player 9 installed.

XP and Vista users:

• If you try to authorize or deauthorize your computer but do not have Windows Media Player 10 (or higher number) installed, you will get an error message.  To fix, download and install the latest version of Windows Media Player (free).

Windows 98, ME, and 2000 users:

• If you try to authorize your computer but do not have Windows Media Player 9 installed, you will get an error. Click here to download  Windows Media Player 9 .

• If you try to deauthorize a computer running Windows 98, ME, or 2000, you will get an error message.  Walmart MP3 Music Downloads currently supports self-deauthorization for computers running Windows XP and Vista only
   

  If you need to deauthorize a computer running Windows 98, ME, or 2000 or have any other questions or concerns, please contact Customer Service or call 1-800-222-8132, from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. CT, seven days a week.

Received License Acquisition Message
If you try to play a WMA music file on Windows Media Player (or another WMA-compatible player) on your computer and the License Acquisition message is displayed, it means you need to authorize the computer and download the appropriate licenses.  To start the authorization process from the License Acquisition message, select the green Go button. If you have closed the License Acquisition message, you can start the authorization process from your Walmart MP3 Music Downloads Account Options page. If you are not already signed in to your Walmart.com account, you will need to Sign In.
 

How To Authorize Your Computer
To authorize your computer: 

1. Go to your Walmart MP3 Music Downloads Account Options page. If you are not already signed in to your Walmart.com account, you will need to Sign In.

2. On your Account Options page, look for the Computer Authorization box and select Authorize This Computer.

3. When the Computer Authorization box overlays your Account Options page, select "Authorize computer so it can play WMA music previously purchased from Walmart Music Downloads" and then select OK.

The Walmart MP3 Music Downloads Manager will start transferring the licenses to your computer, and your computer will be added to the list of authorized computers on your Account Options page. When your licenses finish downloading, you can play your WMA music files on your computer.
 

If you (or another household member) purchased WMA music files with a different Walmart.com account, Sign Out of your current account, Sign In to the account that was used to purchase the WMA music files, and then return to the Account Options page. The Computer Authorization box will be displayed on the Account Options page for that account.
 

 
No Authorize This Computer button on Account Options Page
If the Computer Authorization box is displayed on your Account Option page, but the Authorize This Computer button is not displayed, it is likely due to one of the following causes: 

• The Walmart MP3 Music Downloads Manager, required for authorization, has not been installed on your computer, or the version that has been installed needs to be updated. 
  
  To fix, install or update the Walmart MP3 Music Downloads Manager and then return to your Account Options page.
   
• Your computer has already been authorized. Look at the list of authorized computers on your Account Options page. If (this computer) is displayed to the right of one of the authorized computer names, your computer has already been authorized. If your computer has been authorized, but your WMA music files do not play, it is possible that the licenses have been damaged and need to be replaced.
  
  To fix, select Change for the computer marked (this computer). When the Computer Authorization box overlays your Account Options page, select "Reauthorize computer so it can play WMA music previously purchased from Walmart Music Downloads" and then select OK.
  
  The Walmart MP3 Music Downloads Manager will start transferring the licenses to your computer. When your licenses finish downloading, you can play your WMA music files on your computer.
   

• Your account has already authorized the maximum of three computers. Look at the list of authorized computers on your Account Options page. If three computers are listed, and (this computer) is not displayed to the right of one of the authorized computer names, you will need to deauthorize one of your other computers before you can authorize this computer.
   

What Does Deauthorize Your Computer Mean?
To "deauthorize" your computer simply means to remove the licenses associated with your WMA music files so these songs will not play on your computer. There are two main reasons why you might want to deauthorize your computer: 

• You want to sell or give your computer to someone else and the new owner should not have access to the licenses for the WMA music files you purchased.
• You have already authorized the maximum of three computers and you want to authorize another computer. You will need to deauthorize one of the three authorized computers before you can authorize another computer.
   

How To Deauthorize Your Computer
To deauthorize your computer:

1. Go to your Walmart MP3 Music Downloads Account Options page on one of the computers you previously authorized. If you are not already signed in to your Walmart.com account, you will need to Sign In.

2. Look at the list of authorized computers on your Account Options page. Select Change for the computer marked (this computer). When the Computer Authorization box overlays your Account Options page, select "Deauthorize computer so it can not play WMA music previously purchased from Walmart Music Downloads" and then select OK.
   
   It will take a few minutes for the WMA music file licenses to be removed from your computer. When your computer is fully deauthorized, its name will be removed from the list of authorized computers and you will no longer be able to play WMA music files on it.
    

Can't Sign In To Computer You Want To Deauthorize
In some cases, you may not be able to Sign In to your Walmart.com account on a computer you want to deauthorize; for example, you may have sold or given the computer to someone else or you may not be able to start the computer, etc.

If you can't Sign In to your Walmart.com account on the computer you want to deauthorize, you may contact Customer Service to request deauthorization.

Because Customer Service assistance is limited to once a year deauthorization of one computer associated with your account, we recommend that you deauthorize computers by hand if you are able to do so.
 

Shared Computer Or More Than One Walmart.com Account
WMA music licenses are issued to the specific Walmart.com account (email address) that originally purchased the WMA music files.  If you have authorized your computer but still cannot play WMA files previously purchased from Walmart, consider whether those WMA music files may have been purchased with a different account.

• If you used a different account (email address) to purchase the WMA music files, Sign Out of your current account, Sign In to the account that was used to purchase the WMA music files, and then return to the Account Options page.
• If you share your computer with other household members, ask them to Sign In to their Account Options pages and Authorize the computer to play the WMA music files purchased under their accounts.
   

How To Change Your Computer's Name
Each of your authorized computers must have a unique name. To change the name of one of your authorized computers: 

1. Go to your Walmart MP3 Music Downloads Account Options page. If you are not already signed in to your Walmart.com account, you will need to Sign In.

2. Look at the list of authorized computers on your Account Options page. Select Change for the computer name you want to change. When the Computer Authorization box overlays your Account Options page, select "Rename computer", type the new name into the text box, and then select OK.
   
   The new name will be displayed on the list of authorized computers on your Account Options page.
    

WMA Music Files Not Purchased From Walmart
Authorization via your Walmart.com account will transfer licenses for WMA music files purchased from Walmart only. If you have difficulty playing WMA music files purchased from another online store, you will need to visit that particular store to learn about options for acquiring licenses for those songs
 

Authorize Applies Only To WMA Music Files, Windows-Based Computers, And WMA-Compatible Players
Authorize will enable your Windows-based computer to play WMA music files on WMA-compatible players such as Windows Media Player. 

• Authorize will not enable your WMA music files to play on a Macintosh®
• Authorize will not enable your WMA music files to play on iTunes®
• Authorize will not enable your WMA music files to play on Apple iPod® and Microsoft Zune™
   

Playing WMA Music Files On Portable Player
You do not need to authorize your portable players. Just make sure to copy your WMA music files from an authorized computer to your WMA-compatible player.
 

Backup Your Music Files
To protect your music investment, you may want to backup or "burn" your music files to CD. CD backups ensure continued access to your music files in the event you lose access to your computer or the files on your computer become damaged. Most recent computers are equipped with a CD Burner capable of performing a backup. To learn more about burning CDs, go to the Help section of Windows Media Player (or another music player on your computer) and search for "burn".
 

MP3 Music Files Do Not Require Authorization
The information presented above applies only to WMA music files, which Walmart MP3 Music Downloads no longer sells. Since February 2008, Walmart has been selling music files exclusively in the MP3 format. MP3 music files do not require licenses or computer authorization, play on both Windows and Macintosh computers, play on iTunes for Windows and Macintosh, and play on iPods as well as most other portable players.
 

Can't Convert Previously Purchased WMA Music Files To MP3 Format
At this time, Walmart.com does not support upgrading or converting your previously purchased WMA music files to the MP3 format.
 

©2009 Walmart Stores, Inc. All Rights Reserved.  Terms of Use   EULA
iPod® and iTunes® are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. Windows Media™ and Zune™ are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.

Close Window